Karimganj fencing halted

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Silchar June 29: The Karimganj district administration has put on hold the fencing along with a 3.5km stretch of the India-Bangladesh border on the southern fringes of Karimganj town following protests by political parties and citizensí organisations.

The fencing project, which was first mooted in 1998, has triggered a controversy, as it is feared that a portion land extending from Charbazar, a commercial hub of the town, to Chandsikona, would come under no manís land.

The meeting reached a consensus that the opinion of the representatives would be sent to the Union home ministry through Dispur.

A senior official of the district administration said the two-day survey initiated by the district administration in collaboration with the BSF, which was flagged off on Friday, would be postponed till the further instructions were received from the Centre.

The source said there were wide range of opinion between the administration and the public bodies, including those to be affected by this fencing plan.

While the public bodies demanded that the border fencing scheme should begin right from the end point of the zero line on the banks of the Kushiara, dividing India and Bangladesh, so that the townís border population are not affected, the Union home ministry has avowed that zero line would be extended from the mid-stream of the Kushiara instead of the mandatory requirement of up to 150 metres from start of the zero point in the midstream of the river.